History was made at the Arvada Campus of Red Rocks Community College recently, when the newly rebuilt facility became the first community college in the nation to offer a master's degree program.
Ed Perlmutter recognized the significance and presented the college with a congressional record of the second session of the 114th Congress.
Congressional records are given to individuals or organizations in the district to "forever recognize" events and achievements, said. Ashley Verville, Perlmutter's office's communications director
It specifically recognizes the expansion, she said, "but certainly applauded Red Rocks Community College as a whole."
Classes began Aug. 22, but to celebrate the opening of the campus' new health sciences department --; where the master's program is offered --; a ribbon cutting ceremony took place on Aug. 16.
Excitement filled the air among the hundreds of people attending the ceremony.
"The campus is tremendous for the opportunities it offers for the future," said Duncan Smith, president pro tem of student government. "It's remarkable that a community college hosts not only a health science campus but also a master's program. This makes an education in healthcare affordable for the community."
The campus renovation and expansion, which took exactly one year and one month to complete, triples the size of the campus adding approximately 54,000 square feet. The project cost $22.5 million and is the largest building campaign in the history of Red Rocks for either the Arvada or Lakewood campus. A number of community organizations contributed --; the State of Colorado invested $10 million, Red Rocks Community College Reserves invested $7.5 million, Community First Foundation and the City of Arvada both provided $1 million, $250,000 came from the Red Rocks Community College Foundation Board and $50,000 came from the Caring for Colorado Foundation.
The school is expected to serve an additional 800 students seeking a career in the health sciences.
With the expansion, the college now boasts the latest technology in its various labs --; including exam and X-ray rooms, ultrasound devices and simulation labs, among others.
"The school," said Saba Sadaquat, a student at the Lakewood campus and a student ambassador, "is kind of set up like a small hospital."
She mentioned it's one of the best campuses in the state.
Even the student areas, such as the commons, study rooms and lecture hall, are state-of-the-art.
"This is a new opportunity to enhance the health careers" to prospective students, said Nina Ysais, who works for Red Rocks' high school relations department.
Red Rocks has a close connection with WarrenTech, she said, so the expansion of the Arvada Campus will also benefit high schoolers. WarrenTech --; a career and technical education center for Jeffco Public Schools --; offers a lot of programs in the healthcare industry, Ysais said.
The Arvada Campus can now provide "students with a genuine college experience while they're still in high school," she said.
The expansion will establish new programs that align with industry needs as well as expand enrollment in these high-demand programs, Perlmutter said.
"Red Rocks Community College continues to provide tremendous opportunities for students in its surrounding communities and across the state," he said. "I applaud them on their leadership and commitment to our country's future leaders."
Any student that graduates from the health sciences program will be better prepared to enter into their chosen career right after college, said Ashley Quay, an instructor of radiologic technology and a 2015 graduate of the health sciences program.
Students will get hands-on, individualized learning and will be trained on high-tech, up-to-date equipment, Quay said.
"It will be parallel to what they're going to experience in the field," she said. "They're going to be the best prepared students in the market."
from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.comhttp://arvadapress.com/stories/RRCC-offers-masters-in-health-science,234084?branding=15
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